Elinkaaritietoja

Elinkaaritietoja is a Finnish term that literally means "life-cycle information" and refers to data describing the environmental, material and energy impacts associated with a product, service or system across its entire life cycle. This typically covers stages from raw material extraction and manufacturing through distribution, use and maintenance to end-of-life treatment such as reuse, recycling or disposal.

Such information is compiled and communicated using methods like life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental product declarations (EPDs) and carbon footprint calculations. Common data elements include material composition, energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas and other emissions, waste generation and end-of-life recovery rates. Elinkaaritietoja may be quantitative, model-based or drawn from measured monitoring and supply-chain documentation.

Elinkaaritietoja are used by manufacturers for design and eco-innovation, by buyers and public procurers to compare products on environmental performance, and by regulators and certification schemes to enforce standards and labeling. In Finland and the EU, life-cycle information is increasingly integrated into policy instruments such as ecolabels, green public procurement and circular economy strategies.

Challenges in producing reliable elinkaaritietoja include data gaps, inconsistent methodology, confidentiality of supply-chain information and the need for regular updates. When well-documented and comparable, life-cycle information supports transparency, more sustainable consumption and production decisions and progress toward climate and resource-efficiency goals.